Carried by the Wind
by BelovedInfidel2006
Summary: Estel, feeling isolated in Rivendell, craves adventure and a change of scenery. Little does he know that such an adventurous spirit can get him into trouble, especially as a threatening presence draws nearer…


**A/N:** 'Allo, lovers! This ditty is about my beloved Estel, by whose past I've always been particularly intrigued. In the story, Estel is a young adult, but has not yet had his past revealed to him, so I suppose he's about eighteen or nineteen. This is my first attempt at a real story, and I really hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing (some of) it. (You'll have to excuse the little "oOoOo" business. It rather annoys me, but I'm afraid you'll have to live with it until I come up with something better.)

**Title:** Carried by the Wind

**Rating:** Let's call it an overall **PG-13**, for now. Keep in mind that this could escalate to an Rish level in later chapters, depending on how mean I'm feeling. I'll let you know if any violence or whatever is R-rated before each chapter.

**Summary: **Estel, feeling isolated in Rivendell, craves adventure and a change of scenery. Little does he know that such an adventurous spirit can get him into trouble, especially as a threatening presence draws nearer…

**Disclaimer:** Tolkien's world, Tolkien's characters. I would never claim to be that talented, though I don't mind messing with the characters in my own sadistic way. Oh, some dodgy fellows might turn up later, and they belong to me, but other than that, the credit belongs to Tolkien.

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**Prologue:**

**The Wind Calls**

Over the snow-capped mountains, across the vast plains, through the dense forests, along the rushing rivers. Swirling in circles and dashing through clouds, the young North Wind reveled in the clear, crisp air. She nipped at the heels of the South Wind, chasing him back to his warm southern haven. She danced with the birds, bringing the news of autumn to come. She swooped toward the earth and sang through the forest, enticing them to wake from the hot reverie of summer and to set their branches ablaze with the bright colors of fall. The trees swayed with her, speaking in the soft tones of nature.

The mischievous Wind dipped into the serene valley of Rivendell, eager to spread the news of her joyous release to the fair elves who understood her language as their own. She paused, hovering over the trees, flitting enthusiastically toward the rising elven voices and laughing gaily as she rolled the sound across her back.

She fondly ruffled their silken hair and continued into the valley, easily locating the Last Homely House, where Elrond and his kin resided. She dove without hesitation to the window of his study and darted inside.

As she entered, she seized some of Elrond's papers and tossed them in the air happily. The elf lord grumbled slightly as he rose to reorganize his dissembled stacks of parchment, but his stern look melted into a warm smile as she swirled around the room.

"You carry the sweet scent of autumn in your grasp, my old friend. This is a welcome end to a hot summer," said Elrond gently. The Wind fluttered around the elf briefly and swept out the window once more, displacing a folded piece of paper from the windowsill in the process. She caught the paper and let it settle to the ground, placing it next to the foot of a young human.

This creature had only been in Rivendell for a short while, at least as far as the ageless Wind was concerned. She was very curious about him, for his demeanor was fairer than that of other humans that she encountered, though not so fair as that of the elves. Despite the fact that she was somewhat unfamiliar with him, she ran her fingers through the young man's hair, eliciting delighted laughter from his lips. She wound herself around him as he opened his arms and basked in the cool gusts of her breath.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Estel watched, smiling, as the North Wind sped away toward the bright clouds that framed the setting sun in the west. He had felt the slight chill in her touch, which announced the coming autumn, and he was overjoyed that such a torrid summer was coming to a close. The air smelled fresh and delicious, teeming with energy.

The young human stooped to the ground to pick up the parchment that the Wind had deposited beside him. Looking up at the open window, he suspected it had come from Elrond's study, blown out with the vigor of the gusty air. As curiosity took hold, Estel unfolded the paper to reveal a very detailed map of Middle Earth.

Estel ran his hands over the meticulously drawn landscape with a fascinated tenderness. His hand lingered on the space of parchment labeled "Rivendell." It looked so small on the map… Estel longed to explore Middle Earth beyond the borders that he knew so well and wondered if he would ever have the opportunity to do so, for he was kept under careful watch in Rivendell.

He looked around at the home he had known since before his mother died. The map, browned with age, did not do justice to the beautiful trees, the majestic river, the golden spires of Elrond's house. Yes, Rivendell was close to Estel's heart, and he loved his foster family greatly, but there was a strong force within him that dreamed of roaming freely as others did. This sentiment seemed to strengthen within him whenever the Winds would rise and bring a new season to Middle Earth.

Estel was diverted from his thoughts by the sound of his foster brothers' voices calling him to dinner. He hastily stowed the map inside his tunic and ran lithely through the trees toward the dining hall.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Above, the North Wind wound through the upper branches of the trees and watched him dash away, intrigued by the young man's spirit that so closely resembled her own. Rising upward, she surveyed the land. A sudden sense of foreboding caused her to flutter uneasily, and her gaze turned to the south. Though she could not see it in the distance, she felt something dangerous draw nearer to Rivendell…

TBC…

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I know, it's rather short and a bit fluffy, but then again, it _is_ a prologue. Tell me what you think, and depending on your response, I'll probably post a real chapter in about a week.


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